Multilayer film, laminate, airbag, and method of manufacturing laminate

ABSTRACT

A multilayer film, which is used upon being adhered to a fabric, includes an adhesive layer to be a side of the multilayer film to be adhered to the fabric; and a barrier layer bonded to the adhesive layer. Each of the adhesive layer and the barrier layer includes a thermoplastic polyester elastomer. A melting point of the barrier layer is higher than a melting point of the adhesive layer. A ratio value of a content ratio of a soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the adhesive layer with respect to a content ratio of a soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the barrier layer, is 5 or less.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation application and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/707,413, filed on Dec. 9, 2019, which is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2018/022992 filed on Jun. 15, 2018, which is based on and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-119099 filed on Jun. 16, 2017. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a multilayer film, a laminate, an airbag, and a method of manufacturing a laminate.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, polymeric films that are used upon being adhered to a fabric are known as materials used for vehicle airbags, outdoor products, packaging applications, and the like.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a laminate made by laminating a thermoplastic elastomer onto a fabric made of thermoplastic resin fibers.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that a thermoplastic elastomer is applied or laminated to a fabric surface via an adhesive after performing at least one type of process among a discharge process and an ultraviolet process, on the fabric surface.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H2-114035

Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H5-338092

However, in the invention of Patent Document 1, the laminated thermoplastic elastomer is a monolayer. Accordingly, when the thermoplastic elastomer is laminated by using heat, it is difficult to adjust the temperature of the elastomer during lamination so as to achieve good adhesion to the fabric while maintaining the airtightness of the elastomeric layer, which may decrease the production stability. On the other hand, when the thermoplastic elastomer is laminated by using an adhesive, labor and cost are required for applying the adhesive.

Further, also in the invention of Patent Document 2, an adhesive is used for adhering the thermoplastic elastomer, and, therefore, labor and cost are required.

In view of the above points, a problem to be addressed by an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a multilayer film, which provides high production stability when adhering the multilayer film to a fabric to fabricate a laminate, and which can be fabricated with low labor and low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multilayer film used upon being adhered to a fabric, the multilayer film including an adhesive layer to be a side of the multilayer film to be adhered to the fabric; and a barrier layer bonded to the adhesive layer, wherein each of the adhesive layer and the barrier layer includes a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a melting point of the barrier layer is higher than a melting point of the adhesive layer, and a ratio value of a content ratio of a soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the adhesive layer with respect to a content ratio of a soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the barrier layer, is 5 or less.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayer film according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate (airbag) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a lamination of a fabric and a multilayer film in a manufacturing process of a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (Multilayer Film)

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayer film 1. One embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is the multilayer film 1 including a barrier layer 2 and an adhesive layer 3 bonded to the barrier layer 2. The multilayer film 1 is used upon being adhered to a fabric, and the adhesive layer 3 is the side that is adhered to the fabric. Further, the adhesive layer 3 and the barrier layer 2 include a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, and the melting point of the barrier layer 2 is higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer 3.

As used in the present specification, the barrier layer is a layer that functions to prevent the flow of gas in and out the layer. Further, the adhesive layer is a layer that exhibits adhesion to the fabric, and the adhesion may be exhibited by softening or melting the adhesive layer under a predetermined condition, for example, under a condition where the temperature and/or the pressure are increased. When a multilayer film is adhered to the fabric to form a laminate, the adhesive layer is directly laminated to the fabric and becomes an inner layer sandwiched between the fabric and the barrier layer in the laminate. Accordingly, the adhesive layer can be said to be a layer for bonding the barrier layer and the fabric.

The multilayer film according to the present embodiment has a structure including at least two layers that are the barrier layer and the adhesive layer. This allows each layer to separately have an adhesive function when the film is adhered to the fabric and an airtight function in the resulting laminate. Therefore, when a multilayer film according to the present embodiment is used, a high-quality laminate, having both adhesion to the fabric (resistance to delamination between the fabric and the multilayer film) and airtightness, can be reliably manufactured, as compared to a case where a monolayer film is adhered to the fabric.

The melting point of the barrier layer is higher than that of the adhesive layer. Therefore, when the adhesive layer side of the multilayer film is adhered to the fabric by heating at a temperature lower than the melting point of the barrier layer, it is possible to soften or melt the adhesive layer to a softness suitable for adhering to the fabric, while preventing the softening of the barrier layer. This ensures that the adhesive function of the adhesive layer is exerted, and prevents the softening of the barrier layer to maintain the airtight function of the barrier layer. Accordingly, it is possible to both secure adhesion to the fabric and maintain the airtightness of the multilayer film.

As described above, the multilayer film according to the present embodiment can be satisfactorily adhered to the fabric by using heat, without using an adhesive or the like, thereby reducing the labor and cost of using an adhesive. Further, when the laminate is used for a long period of time or in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment, it is possible to prevent the laminate from losing flexibility and to prevent delamination, caused by alteration of the adhesive.

As used in the present specification, the melting point of a layer refers to the temperature at which the layer softens when the temperature of the layer is raised so that molecules of the polymer in the layer begin to move relative to each other and the polymer becomes fluid. Thus, the melting point of the adhesive layer and the barrier layer can be referred to as the melting point of the polymer (including the polymer alloy) in the adhesive layer and the barrier layer, respectively. The melting point of the polymer can be the melting peak temperature measured with a differential scanning calorimeter.

(Adhesive Layer)

In the present embodiment, the adhesive layer includes a thermoplastic elastomer, specifically a thermoplastic polyester elastomer. Preferably, the thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer including a hard segment (also referred to as a high melting point segment or a crystalline segment) and a soft segment (also referred to as a low melting point segment or an amorphous segment). The thermoplastic elastomer can exhibit fluidity when softened by heat, and can exhibit rubbery elasticity in the absence of heat.

By using a thermoplastic polyester elastomer for the adhesive layer, the resistance to delamination of the resulting laminate can be improved. That is, the adhesion between the adhesive layer and the fabric and the adhesion between the adhesive layer and the barrier layer can be improved at room temperature and under high temperature and/or high humidity conditions. Further, the flexibility and mechanical strength of the overall laminate can be improved.

The thermoplastic polyester elastomer may be of the polyester-polyether type including primarily aromatic polyester, etc., as a hard segment and primarily aliphatic polyether, etc., as a soft segment. Alternatively, the thermoplastic polyester elastomer may be of the polyester-polyester type including primarily aromatic polyester, etc., as a hard segment and primarily aliphatic polyester, etc., as a soft segment.

The hard segment of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer is preferably a segment including polyester formed by an aromatic polyester, for example, an aromatic dicarboxylic acid component and a diol component.

Examples of aromatic dicarboxylic acids forming the aromatic dicarboxylic acid component include terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, phthalic acid, naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, naphthalene-2,7-dicarboxylic acid, anthracene dicarboxylic acid, diphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, diphenoxyethanedicarboxylic acid, 4,4′-diphenyl ether dicarboxylic acid, 5-sulfoisophthalic acid, and sodium 3-sulfoisophthalate. The aromatic dicarboxylic acid component may be included in the aromatic polyester, either alone or as a combination of two or more kinds. Also, in the hard segment, a portion of the aromatic dicarboxylic acid component may be replaced by an alicyclic or aliphatic carboxylic acid.

The diol forming the diol component may be a diol having a molecular weight of 400 or less, and examples include aliphatic diols such as 1,4-butanediol, ethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, pentamethylene glycol, hexamethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, decamethylene glycol and the like; alicyclic diols such as 1,1-cyclohexanedimethanol, 1,4-dicyclohexanedimethanol, tricyclodecanedimethanol and the like; and aromatic diols such as xylylene glycol, bis(p-hydroxy) diphenyl, bis(p-hydroxy)diphenylpropane, 2,2′-bis[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]propane, bis[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]sulfone, 1,1-bis[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane, 4,4′-dihydroxy-p-terphenyl, and 4,4′-dihydroxy-p-quarter-phenyl and the like. The diol component may be included in the aromatic polyester either alone or as a combination of two or more kinds.

The polyester included in the hard segment is preferably polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, and polytrimethylene terephthalate, and more preferably polybutylene terephthalate, from the viewpoint of heat resistance and gas barrier properties.

The soft segment of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer preferably includes an aliphatic polyether and/or an aliphatic polyester. Examples of the aliphatic polyether include poly(ethylene oxide) glycol, poly(propylene oxide) glycol, poly(tetramethylene oxide) glycol (polytetramethylene ether glycol), poly(hexamethylene oxide) glycol, copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, ethylene oxide addition polymer of poly(propylene oxide) glycol, copolymer glycol of ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran and the like. Further, examples of the aliphatic polyester include poly(ε-caprolactone), polyenanthractone, polycaprolactone, polybutylene adipate, polyethylene adipate and the like.

Among these aliphatic polyethers and/or aliphatic polyesters, from the viewpoint of elasticity and formability, poly(tetramethylene oxide) glycol, ethylene oxide addition polymer of poly(propylene oxide) glycol, copolymer glycol of ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran, poly(ε-caprolactone), polybutylene adipate, and polyethylene adipate are preferable, and among these, poly(tetramethylene oxide) glycol (polytetramethylene ether glycol), ethylene oxide addition polymer of poly(propylene oxide) glycol, and copolymer glycol of ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran are particularly preferable.

The number average molecular weight of the soft segment is preferably approximately 300 to 6000 in the copolymerized state.

The thermoplastic polyester elastomer described above may be modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as acrylic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, or derivatives thereof, in the presence of a radical generating agent. It is preferable that the unsaturated carboxylic acid or derivatives thereof added for modification be 0.1 parts by weight to 30 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. The type and amount of component used for such modification may be selected as appropriate, depending on the material or application of the fabric to be adhered.

The content ratio of the hard segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the adhesive layer is preferably 10% by weight to 60% by weight and more preferably 20% by weight to 40% by weight with respect to 100% by weight of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. By setting the content ratio to be 10% by weight or more, the mechanical strength, heat resistance, and durability in high temperature and high humidity of the multilayer film and the resulting laminate can be improved. Further, by setting the content ratio to be 60% by weight or less, it is possible to ensure proper elasticity, flexibility, and formability of the multilayer film and the resulting laminate.

The content ratio of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the adhesive layer is preferably 50% by weight to 90% by weight and more preferably 60% by weight to 80% by weight with respect to 100% by weight of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. By setting the content ratio to be 50% by weight or more, it is possible to ensure proper elasticity, flexibility, and formability of the multilayer film and the resulting laminate. Further, by setting the content ratio to be 90% by weight or less, the mechanical strength of the multilayer film and the resulting laminate can be improved.

The content ratio of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer is related to the melting point and the softening point of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. Generally, the higher the content ratio of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer, the lower the melting point and the softening point of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. Therefore, by adjusting the content ratio of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the adhesive layer, the melting point of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer can be adjusted, and consequently, the melting point of the adhesive layer can be adjusted.

The melting point of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the adhesive layer is preferably 80° C. or higher, more preferably 100° C. or higher, and even more preferably 130° C. or higher. Further, the upper limit of the melting point of the thermoplastic polymer used for the adhesive layer is not particularly limited as long as the temperature of the melting point is below the melting point of the barrier layer; however, the upper limit of the melting point is preferably 250° C. or less, more preferably 200° C. or less, and even more preferably 170° C. or less.

The adhesive layer may include two or more kinds of the thermoplastic polyester elastomers described above. In addition to the thermoplastic polyester elastomer, one or more kinds of another thermoplastic elastomer that is not polyester-based, such as a polyamide elastomer, a polyolefin elastomer, a polyurethane elastomer, a polystyrene elastomer, a polybutadiene elastomer and the like, may also be included. Further, one or more kinds of non-elastomeric polymers, such as a polyester resin, a polyamide resin, a polyolefin resin, a polystyrene resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and the like may be included.

Commercial products of thermoplastic polyester elastomer include the respective series of “Hytrel (registered trademark)” manufactured by Toray DuPont Co., Ltd., “Primalloy (registered trademark)” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd., “Perprene (registered trademark)” manufactured by Toyo Spinning Co., Ltd., “Arnitel (registered trademark)” manufactured by Koninklijke DSM N.V., and the like.

Other components other than polymer may be added to the adhesive layer. Other components include additives such as pigments, fillers, antioxidants, hydrolytic stabilizers, anti-blocking agents and the like.

The overall thickness of the adhesive layer is preferably 5 μm to 50 μm, and more preferably 5 μm to 30 μm.

(Barrier Layer)

The barrier layer includes a thermoplastic elastomer, specifically a thermoplastic polyester elastomer. The thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the barrier layer can be selected from the thermoplastic polyester elastomers described for the adhesive layer.

In the present embodiment, the thermoplastic elastomer is used in the barrier layer; and, therefore, the elasticity, flexibility, tear strength and the like of the resulting laminate can be improved. Further, the resistance in a high temperature environment and/or a high humidity environment can also be improved.

The barrier layer includes a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, similar to the adhesive layer. Thus, in the present embodiment, the same type of thermoplastic elastomer is used in the barrier layer and the adhesive layer, that is, the polyester elastomer is used for both the barrier layer and the adhesive layer, and, therefore, the bonding between the barrier layer and the adhesive layer is strong, and the two layers are integral, so that the mechanical strength of the entire multilayer film can be improved. Further, when the layers are adhered to a fabric to form a laminate, the mechanical strength of the entire laminate can be improved. The interlayer bonding force between the barrier layer and the adhesive layer is improved at room temperature and also after long term storage and/or high temperature and high humidity storage.

The type of hard segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the barrier layer and the type of hard segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the adhesive layer may be the same as or may be different from each other. Further, the type of soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the barrier layer and the type of soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the adhesive layer may be the same or may be different from each other. The type of the hard segment and the type of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the barrier layer, and the type of the hard segment and the type of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the adhesive layer, may be the same or may be different from each other. If the segments are the same in type, the bonding force between the barrier layer and the adhesive layer is increased, making delamination within the multilayer film less likely and further improving the mechanical strength of the multilayer film and the laminate.

The melting point of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer used in the barrier layer is a temperature that is above the melting point of the adhesive layer. Thus, as described above, when the multilayer film is heated at a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer to adhere to the fabric, it is possible to prevent deformation or alteration of the barrier layer and the airtight function of the barrier layer can be maintained, even when the adhesive layer is softened or melted so as to have an adhesive function.

The content ratio of the hard segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the barrier layer is preferably 40% by weight to 95% by weight and more preferably 60% by weight to 90% by weight with respect to 100% by weight of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. By setting the content ratio to be 40% by weight or more, the mechanical strength, heat resistance, and resistance in high temperature and high humidity of the multilayer film and laminate can be improved. Further, by setting the content ratio to be 95% by weight or less, it is possible to ensure proper elasticity, flexibility, and formability of the multilayer film and the laminate.

The content ratio of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the barrier layer is preferably 5% by weight to 60% by weight, and more preferably 10% by weight to less than 50% by weight with respect to 100% by weight of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer. By setting the content ratio to be 5% by weight or more, proper elasticity, flexibility, and formability of the multilayer film and laminate can be ensured. By setting the content ratio to be 60% by weight or less, the mechanical strength, heat resistance, and resistance in high temperature and high humidity of the multilayer film and the laminate can be improved.

It is preferable that the ratio value (Psa/Pss) of the content ratio (Psa) of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the adhesive layer, with respect to the content ratio (Pss) of the soft segment in the thermoplastic polyester elastomer in the barrier layer, is 1.2 to 5, and more preferably 1.4 to 3.5. The above-described range allows the production stability to be improved, and a multilayer film and a laminate with excellent elasticity and flexibility, while having mechanical strength and heat resistance, can be obtained.

As described above, the melting point of the barrier layer is higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer; and the difference between the melting point of the barrier layer and the melting point of the adhesive layer is preferably 10° C. to 100° C., more preferably 20° C. to 80° C., and preferably exceeding 20° C. When the multilayer film is adhered to the fabric by using heat, the multilayer film and the fabric are laminated, and heated and pressurized at a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer. By setting the difference between the melting point of the barrier layer and the melting point of the adhesive layer to be in the above-described range, the temperature can be easily controlled. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the generation of defective products in which the adhesive layer fails to perform the adhesive function because of insufficient softening, or the airtightness is impaired due to deformation or alteration of the barrier layer caused by softening of the barrier layer, and because defective products can be reduced, the production stability can be improved.

The melting point of the barrier layer is not particularly limited, but is preferably 90° C. or higher, more preferably 150° C. or higher, and even more preferably 180° C. or higher. Further, the upper limit of the melting point of the thermoplastic polymer used for the barrier layer is not particularly limited; but is preferably 300° C. or less, more preferably 270° C. or less, and even more preferably 230° C. or less, in consideration of the ease of handling when forming the multilayer film.

The barrier layer may include two or more kinds of the thermoplastic polyester elastomers described above. Similar to the adhesive layer, in the barrier layer, another thermoplastic elastomer that is not polyester-based may be compounded or a polymer that is not an elastomer may be compounded.

In the barrier layer, other components other than polymer may be added, similar to the adhesive layer. Other components include additives such as pigments, fillers, antioxidants, hydrolytic stabilizers, anti-blocking agents and the like.

The overall thickness of the barrier layer is preferably 5 μm to 50 μm. More preferably, the overall thickness is 5 μm to 30 μm.

(Layer Structure of Multilayer Film)

As described above, the multilayer film includes a barrier layer and an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer may be one layer or a plurality of layers. When there is more than one adhesive layer, the materials forming each adhesive layer may be the same or different. The melting points of the respective plural adhesive layers may also be the same or different. The barrier layer may also be a single layer or a plurality of layers. When there is more than one barrier layer, the materials and melting points of the respective plural barrier layers may be the same or different.

In a specific configuration, two adhesive layers may be provided, so as to form a multilayer film in which a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, and a barrier layer are laminated in the stated order. In this case, a dye, such as a pigment, may be added to either the first adhesive layer or the second adhesive layer. By such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of dye, as compared to a case of forming one adhesive layer having the same volume as the sum of the volumes of the first and second adhesive layers and adding the dye to the entire adhesive layer.

Further, three adhesive layers may be provided, so as to form a multilayer film in which a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, a third adhesive layer, and a barrier layer are laminated in the stated order. Further, two barrier layers may be provided, so as to form a multilayer film in which a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, a first barrier layer, and a second barrier layer are laminated in the stated order.

(Manufacturing of Multilayer Film)

The multilayer films can be manufactured by bonding an adhesive layer and a barrier layer. In this case, the adhesive layer and the barrier layer may be molded by extrusion or the like as separate sheets or films in advance, and may be bonded together to form an integral layer. Examples of the manufacturing method include melt compression bonding by hot pressing or hot rolling on the superimposed sheets or films, extrusion lamination to extrude a molten material onto the molded sheets or films, and the like.

Further, the materials of each of the adhesive layer and the barrier layer can be melted and then extruded and molded simultaneously by using, for example, a blown extrusion method or a T-die method. Among these, it is preferable to use the blown extrusion method in which the area can be increased so that excellent productivity can be achieved.

(Fabric)

The multilayer film according to the present embodiment is used upon being adhered to a fabric. As used in the present specification, a fabric is a structure having a sheet-like shape obtained by laminating a multilayer film with a fabric, and functioning as a support to ensure the strength of the laminate that is the final product. Here, the sheet-like shape includes not only a flat shape but also a cylindrical shape, a bag-like shape, and a balloon-like shape.

The fabric preferably includes fibers, and may be a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, or a non-woven fabric, and may be fully or partially sewn. Among these, a woven fabric is preferable because the mechanical strength is high, and preferably has a two-axis structure in which a plurality of warp yarns and a plurality of weft yarns are combined, and may have a three-axis structure in which a plurality of warp yarns, a plurality of weft yarns, and a plurality of oblique yarns are combined. Among these, a fabric having the 2-axis structure is preferable, and more preferably is a plain-woven fabric in terms of strength and ease of manufacturing. Further, rather than being a planar fabric, the fabric may be an OPW (One Piece Woven) that is woven into a bag without stitching so that the fabric can have a curved surface according to the shape of the intended product.

The OPW can be suitably used in applications such as airbags, which are inflated to store air inside and used. Among these applications, an OPW used for a curtain airbag has a complex curved surface with a plurality of chambers formed, and may have a structure having irregularities when inflated. Typically, when a film is adhered to a fabric having such an irregular structure, delamination between the fabric and the film is more likely to occur than when the film is adhered to a fabric without irregularities. However, by using the multilayer film according to the present embodiment, even in the case of an OPW having irregularities, the multilayer film can be adhered satisfactorily so that delamination can be prevented.

The fibers included in the fabric may be synthetic fibers, natural fibers, regenerated fibers, semi-synthetic fibers, inorganic fibers, and combinations thereof (including mix spinning or mix weaving). Among these, synthetic fibers, particularly polymeric fibers, are preferable. The fibers may also be composite fibers, such as core sheath fibers, side-by-side fibers, or split fibers.

Polymers constituting fibers include homopolyesters of polyalkylene terephthalate, such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate; polyester fibers in which isophthalic acid, 5-sodium sulfoisophthalic acid, or aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, such as adipic acid, are copolymerized with an acid component constituting a repeating unit of polyester; nylon 6.6, nylon 6, nylon 12, nylon 4.6, and a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 6.6; polyamide fibers in which polyalkylene glycol, dicarboxylic acid, amines, etc., are copolymerized with nylon; aramid fibers represented by a copolymer of paraphenylene terephthalamide and aromatic ether; rayon fibers; ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers; sulfonic fibers such as paraphenylene sulfone and polysulfone; and polyether ketone fibers or the like.

Note that when the fabric is a woven fabric, the fabric may include two or more fibers, for example, for fibers used in yarns extending in different directions, different types of fibers may be used. More specifically, when the fabric has a two-axis structure including warp yarns and weft yarns, the warp yarns and weft yarns may be made of different types of fibers. In this case, at least one of the warp yarns and weft yarns may be a polyester fiber.

The multilayer film according to the present embodiment can be suitably used for lamination to a fabric including polyester fibers.

Preferably, the fabric is formed by using yarns having a total fineness (single yarn fineness×number of hybrid yarns) of 100 dtex to 700 dtex. Further, the single yarn fineness of the fibers used in the fabric is preferably 1 dtex to 10 dtex.

When the fabric is a plain-woven fabric, the weave density of the warp yarns and weft yarns is preferably 5 pcs/cm² to 30 pcs/cm², respectively.

In consideration of the storage capacity and cost of the laminate (the final product), the fabric weight (weight per m²) of the fabric may be 300 g/m² or less, more preferably 200 g/m² or less, even more preferably 190 g/m² or less, even more preferably 150 g/m² or less, and 100 g/m² or less. Further, from the viewpoint of ensuring mechanical strength, the fabric weight may be preferably 30 g/m² or more, more preferably 50 g/m² or more, and even more preferably 70 g/m² or more.

(Laminate)

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention. A laminate 5 is constituted by the multilayer film 1 including the barrier layer 2 and the adhesive layer 3 described above, and a fabric 4, adhered to each other.

In the example of FIG. 2, the multilayer film 1 is disposed on one side of the fabric 4; however, the multilayer film according to the present embodiment may be provided on both sides of the fabric 4. When an OPW folded into a bag without stitching is used as the fabric, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a multilayer film 1 a and a multilayer film 1 b may be laminated, on the top and the bottom, respectively, of the surface of the OPW with the air of the bag removed and folded. The laminate illustrated in FIG. 3 may be used for an airbag or the like.

(Manufacturing of Laminate)

One embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing the laminate having the multilayer film and the fabric as described above, including a step of adhering the side of the multilayer film with the adhesive layer to the fabric, while heating the multilayer film at a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer.

Here, in the method of manufacturing the laminate according to the present embodiment, the term “film” means a flexible thin film, regardless of the temperature and the hardness or the like thereof. That is, the supplied multilayer film may be less than or equal to room temperature or may be higher than room temperature. Further, the multilayer film may also be softened so as to be at least partially capable of exerting an adhesive function. Accordingly, the laminate according to the present embodiment may be manufactured, for example, by adhering a multilayer film, which is supplied at less than or equal to room temperature, to a fabric while heating at a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer by using a heating means. Alternatively, the laminate according to the present embodiment may be manufactured, for example, by adhering a polymer, which is heated and extruded into a film by an extruder, to a fabric.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a laminate manufacturing apparatus 20 for carrying out the method of manufacturing the laminate according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate in which multilayer films are laminated on both sides of the fabric 4. The laminate manufacturing apparatus 20 includes a heating unit 22 and a cooling unit 24.

In the manufacturing method using the laminate manufacturing apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 4, first, the fabric 4 and the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b that have been wound on reels or the like are unwound, respectively, and the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b are superimposed on both sides (the upper surface and the lower surface) of the fabric 4. Specifically, as illustrated in the figure, the multilayer film 1 a, including a barrier layer 2 a and an adhesive layer 3 a, is superimposed so that the adhesive layer 3 a is on the side of the fabric 4. Further, the multilayer film 1 b, including a barrier layer 2 b and an adhesive layer 3 b, is superimposed so that the adhesive layer 3 b is on the side of the fabric 4. Then, the superimposed multilayer film 1 b, the fabric 4, and the multilayer film 1 a are sent to the heating unit 22, and are pressed while being heated at the heating unit 22.

The heating unit 22 includes pressurizing means, for example, formed of a pair of opposing rollers (such as nip rollers) or a pair of opposing belts, such as the illustrated example. The superimposed multilayer film 1 b, the fabric 4, and the multilayer film 1 a are passed through a pair of pressurizing means as described above, so as to be heated and pressurized. Here, in the multilayer film, the melting point of the adhesive layer is a temperature that is below the melting point of the barrier layer, and, therefore, by setting the heating temperature in the heating unit 22 to be a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer, it is possible to press the adhesive layer against the fabric in a state where the adhesive layer is sufficiently softened. This allows the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b to be adhered to both sides of the fabric 4, respectively, thereby forming the laminate 5 including the multilayer film 1 b, the fabric 4, and the multilayer film 1 a.

Subsequently, the laminate 5, that has been passed through the heating unit 22, is sent to the cooling unit 24. In the cooling unit 24, the temperature of the laminate 5 can be reduced to room temperature, preferably. The cooling unit 24 may include a cooling means including a cooling medium or a suction means. In the cooling unit 24, the laminate 5 may be pressurized by using a pressurizing means formed of a pair of opposing belts, as illustrated in the example; however, pressurization is not necessarily required.

In the manufacturing apparatus in FIG. 4, by omitting either one of the multilayer film 1 a or the multilayer film 1 b, it is possible to manufacture a laminate in which the multilayer film 1 is laminated on one side of the fabric 4 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Further, the fabric 4 may be a tubular or bag-like OPW woven without stitching. This allows the laminate illustrated in FIG. 3 to be manufactured. In this case, air is removed from the inside of the bag-shaped fabric 4 so that the fabric 4 is in the form of a sheet, and the fabric 4 is wound on a reel or the like in advance, and is unwound before being superimposed. Then, the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b are superimposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric 4, respectively, as described above. In this case, the fabric 4 is in the form of a bag, and, therefore, the upper surface and the lower surface of the fabric 4 both correspond to the surface of the fabric 4.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a state where the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b are respectively superimposed on the upper surface and lower surface of the fabric 4 that is loaded into the laminate manufacturing apparatus 20 in a flat state. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the superimposed multilayer film 1 a, the fabric 4, and the multilayer film 1 b are pressurized from both sides by a pair of pressurizing means at the heating unit 22. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b are bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric 4, respectively, and the edges of the multilayer films 1 a and 1 b are bonded to each other by heating or by an adhesive, thereby obtaining a laminate (airbag) 6. The excessive parts of the edges may be cut off. In this manner, an airbag may be manufactured in which the fabric is formed into the shape of a bag and a multilayer film is formed on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the fabric.

The heating temperature when manufacturing the laminate is not particularly limited, as long as the temperature is below the melting point of the barrier layer. The heating temperature may be a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer and a temperature at which the adhesive layer softens. Specifically, the temperature is preferably 120° C. to 250° C. Further, the pressurizing pressure may be 5 N/cm² to 700 N/cm², preferably 10 N/cm² to 500 N/cm², depending on the composition of the multilayer film and the fabric. Further, the pressurizing pressure may be 5 N/cm² to 50 N/cm² depending on the operating conditions when manufacturing the laminate.

(Application)

The multilayer film and the laminate according to the present embodiment are suitable for use in vehicle airbags, outdoor products, packaging applications, and the like, and are particularly well suited for the manufacturing of vehicle airbags, particularly curtain airbags. A curtain airbag is mounted on the roof line at the top of the side window. When a high load is applied at the time of a collision, etc., the airbag is expanded into a shape of a curtain in a vertical downward direction along the side window.

The material of the curtain airbag is demanded to be pressure-resistant, because when the curtain airbag is expanded, the curtain airbag remains inflated for a few seconds, for example for 6 seconds to 7 seconds, after being activated. Further, before being expanded, a curtain airbag is often stored in a casing or the like in a folded or rolled up state for a long period of time, and is often exposed to high temperature and high humidity environments. Even for such applications, the multilayer film and the laminate according to the present embodiment can be suitably used.

Note that when a laminate including a film and a fabric is used as a vehicle airbag, various performances are required for the laminate in consideration of safety. Standards for safety have been established in each country, and the standards are becoming increasingly strict. For example, in the United States, the safety standards for airbags have been raised in recent years, and in terms of durability under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions, for example, the temperature and pressure conditions in high-temperature and high-humidity adhesion tests have conventionally been temperature: 40° C., relative humidity: 92%, and 168 hours, respectively, but these conditions have become more severe, to temperature: 70° C., relative humidity: 95%, and 408 hours, respectively. For this reason, there has been a need for an airbag material that can withstand such a severely high temperature and high humidity environment. In this regard, the multilayer film and the laminate according to the present embodiment are resistant to delamination and exhibit excellent durability even after being stored under such severely high temperature and high humidity conditions.

Further, in manufacturing airbags, reduction in product costs is constantly demanded. Conventionally, polyamide such as nylon has often been used as a fabric material for airbags; however, a relatively inexpensive polyester fabric is increasingly being used. For this reason, a film material with high adhesion to a fabric including polyester yarns has been required; however, there have been cases where conventional films do not have sufficient adhesion to a polyester fabric. On the other hand, the multilayer film according to the present embodiment exhibits excellent adhesion to a fabric including polyester.

Practical Examples

Although the present invention will be described in further detail in the following practical examples, the present invention is not limited to these practical examples.

In these practical examples, a multilayer film including a barrier layer and an adhesive layer was formed, and the multilayer film was adhered to a fabric to manufacture a laminate, and the manufactured laminate was evaluated.

[Raw Material for Multilayer Film]

The following materials were used as raw materials for the multilayer film. The melting point of each raw material is the melting peak temperature measured by a differential scanning calorimeter.

Thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1): a polyester-polyether block copolymer with polybutylene terephthalate as the hard segment and polytetramethylene ether glycol with a number-average molecular weight of 2000 as the soft segment. In the above copolymer, the content ratio of the polybutylene terephthalate is 25% by weight and the content ratio of the polytetramethylene ether glycol segment is 75% by weight (melting point 152° C.).

Thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-2): a polyester-polyether block copolymer with polybutylene terephthalate as the hard segment and polytetramethylene ether glycol with a number-average molecular weight of 2000 as the soft segment. In the above copolymer, the content ratio of the polybutylene terephthalate is 35% by weight and the content ratio of the polytetramethylene ether glycol segment is 65% by weight (melting point 185° C.).

Thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-3): a polyester-polyether block copolymer with polybutylene terephthalate as the hard segment and polytetramethylene ether glycol with a number-average molecular weight of 2000 as the soft segment. In the above copolymer, the content ratio of the polybutylene terephthalate is 58% by weight and the content ratio of the polytetramethylene ether glycol segment is 42% by weight (melting point 207° C.).

Polyamide (PA): Vestamid (registered trademark) manufactured by Daicel-Evonik Co., Ltd.

[Evaluation of Multilayer Film and Laminate] <High-Temperature, High-Humidity Adhesion (Resistance to Delamination Under High-Temperature, High-Humidity Conditions)>

A test piece having a size of 50 mm×150 mm was fabricated from the laminate obtained by laminating the multilayer film on the fabric, and the test piece was placed in an airtight container and was maintained for 408 hours in the container in which the temperature was 70° C. and the relative humidity was 95%. While fixing the fabric portion of the test piece (laminate) taken out from the container, the force, which was required to pull the multilayer film portion (barrier layer and adhesive layer) in a direction of 180 degrees at the tensile rate of 100 mm/minute, was measured as the peel force (N/mm). The evaluation standard was as follows.

◯ (good): The peel force exceeded 0.5 N/mm. Δ (ordinary): The peel force was 0.3 N/mm to 0.5 N/mm. x (bad): The peel force was less than 0.3 N/mm, or delamination occurred in the multilayer film.

When measuring the peel force, in order to prevent the multilayer film from being broken or stretched during the peel test, a polyethylene terephthalate film with a thickness of 100 μm was bonded to the barrier layer side of the multilayer film via an adhesive, to reinforce the multilayer film.

Practical Example 1 (Multilayer Film)

The multilayer film was manufactured by using a blown extrusion device (manufactured by Dr. Collin GmbH) having three extruders. In the respective extruders, the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1), the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1), and the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-3) were loaded, and were melted at a temperature greater than or equal to the melting point of each raw material, and a three-layer film was fabricated by the blown extrusion method.

The resulting film was a three-layer film in which a first adhesive layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1), a second adhesive layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1), and a barrier layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-3) were laminated in the stated order. The extrusion amount of the first adhesive layer, the second adhesive layer, and the barrier layer was 10 g/m², respectively.

(Lamination of Multilayer Film and Fabric)

As a fabric, a plain-woven fabric woven with polyethylene terephthalate fibers was used. The total fineness of warp yarn and weft yarn was 470 dtex, and the weave density was 22 pcs/cm for each of the warp yarn and the weft yarn.

A laminating device (Twin-belt flat lamination system, manufactured by Maschinenfabrik Herbert Meyer GmbH) was used to laminate the PET fabric and the three-layer film so that the adhesive layer came into contact with the fabric surface, and the adhesive layer was softened while the laminated materials were heated at 170° C. and were pressurized with a nip roller to 18 N/cm², and the fabric and the three-layer film were laminated.

Practical Example 2 (Multilayer Film)

A three-layer film was fabricated in the same manner as practical example 1 except that the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-2) was used instead of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1). The resulting film was a three-layer film in which a first adhesive layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-2), a second adhesive layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-2), and a barrier layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-3) were laminated in the stated order. The extrusion amount of the first adhesive layer, the second adhesive layer, and the barrier layer was 10 g/m², respectively.

(Lamination of Multilayer Film and Fabric)

A laminate including the fabric and the multilayer film was fabricated by the same method as practical example 1 except that the heating temperature during lamination of the fabric and the multilayer film was set at 200° C. Evaluation was performed in the same manner as in practical example 1. The results are given in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1 (Multilayer Film)

A three-layer film was fabricated in the same manner as practical example 1 except that the polyamide (PA) was used instead of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-3). The resulting film was a three-layer film in which a first adhesive layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1), a second adhesive layer formed of the thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE-1), and a barrier layer formed of the polyamide (PA) were laminated in the stated order. The extrusion amount of the first adhesive layer, the second adhesive layer, and the barrier layer was 10 g/m², respectively.

(Lamination of Multilayer Film and Fabric)

In the same manner as practical example 1, a laminate including the fabric and the multilayer film was fabricated and evaluated. The results are given in Table 1.

TABLE 1 EVALUATION FILM ADHESION ADHESIVE LAYER BARRIER LAYER MELTING AT HIGH RAW MELTING RAW MELTING POINT TEMPERATURE MATERIAL POINT MATERIAL POINT DIFFERENCE PRODUCTION AND HIGH POLYMER (Tm_(A)) POLYMER (Tm_(B)) (Tm_(B) − Tm_(A)) STABILITY HUMIDITY PRACTICAL TPEE-1 152° C. TPEE-3 207° C. 55° C. ◯ ◯ EXAMPLE 1 PRACTICAL TPEE-2 185° C. TPEE-3 207° C. 22° C. ◯ ◯ EXAMPLE 2 COMPARATIVE TPEE-1 152° C. PA 172° C. 20° C. X X * EXAMPLE 1 * DELAMINATION OCCURRED IN MULTILAYER FILM.

In the laminates fabricated according to practical examples 1 and 2, in which a thermoplastic polyester elastomer was used for both the adhesive layer and the barrier layer and the melting point of the barrier layer was higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer, it was found that the production stability was excellent, that is, it is possible to stably produce the laminate even if a change occurs in the manufacturing conditions such as the heating temperature in the manufacturing process. Further, in practical examples 1 and 2, the difference between the melting point of the barrier layer and the melting point of the adhesive layer was greater than 20° C., and thus it is possible to exhibit particularly excellent production stability. Further, the laminates fabricated according to practical examples 1 and 2 had excellent adhesion under high temperature and high humidity.

On the other hand, in comparative example 1, in which the adhesive layer was a thermoplastic polyester elastomer but the barrier layer is a polyamide, delamination was observed between the adhesive layer and the barrier layer, and both the production stability and adhesion at high temperature and high humidity were inferior to those of practical examples 1 and 2.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a multilayer film, which provides high production stability when adhering the multilayer film to a fabric to fabricate a laminate, and which can be fabricated with low labor and low cost, can be provided.

The multilayer film, the laminate, the airbag, and the method of manufacturing the laminate are not limited to the specific embodiments described in the detailed description, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multilayer film used upon being adhered to a fabric, the multilayer film comprising: an adhesive layer to be a side of the multilayer film to be adhered to the fabric; and a barrier layer bonded to the adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer and the barrier layer include a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, and a melting point of the barrier layer is higher than a melting point of the adhesive layer.
 2. The multilayer film according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polyester elastomer included in the adhesive layer is a block copolymer including a soft segment including polyether and a hard segment including polyester.
 3. The multilayer film according to claim 1, wherein the melting point of the barrier layer is higher than the melting point of the adhesive layer by more than 20° C.
 4. The multilayer film according to claim 1, wherein the fabric includes polyester.
 5. The multilayer film according to claim 1, wherein the fabric is a fabric used for an airbag.
 6. A laminate formed by adhering the multilayer film according to claim 1 and the fabric to each other.
 7. An airbag formed by using the laminate according to claim 6, wherein the fabric is formed to have a shape of a bag, and the multilayer film is formed on a surface of the fabric.
 8. A method of manufacturing a laminate including the multilayer film according to claim 1 and the fabric, the method comprising: a step of adhering the side of the multilayer film with the adhesive layer to the fabric, while heating the multilayer film at a temperature below the melting point of the barrier layer. 